Abstract: The present invention provides for a process for preparing a recombinant human thrombin. A process for preparing a recombinant human thrombin which comprises: (1) obtaining a transfectant cell producing a human prothrombin by introducing an expression vector, wherein a gene fragment coding for a human prothrombin gene is incorporated, into an animal cell; (2) purifying a human prothrombin from the culture of the transfectant cell above by an anion exchanger; (3) converting the purified human prothrombin into a human thrombin by subjecting said human prothrombin to the action of ecarin; and (4) purifying the human thrombin from the solution after treatment with ecarin by an affinity method using benzamidine and a cation exchanger, and human thrombin obtained by said process, and a CHO cell that produces human prothrombin.

Abstract: A gene encoding a production amount-potentiating factor is introduced into an animal cell to transform the cell. Alternatively, a protein production gene and the gene encoding the production amount-potentiating factor are introduced into the animal cell to transform the cell. Herein, as the production amount potentiating factor, there is used a factor having caspase activity inhibiting activity and/or protein biosynthesis activity potentiating action, for example, baculovirus P35. Further, the animal cell is cultured by a culturing method under a condition that apoptosis is not induced, so that a protein is mass-produced.

Abstract: A safe and effective hemostatic is provided. The invention relates to a bioabsorbable synthetic nonwoven fabric holding thrombin as an effective ingredient and a hemostatic comprising said bioabsorbable synthetic nonwoven fabric. The bioabsorbable synthetic nonwoven fabric holding thrombin in accordance with the present invention may be prepared by a process which comprises the steps of immersing a bioabsorbable synthetic nonwoven fabric into a solution containing thrombin and of lyophilizing the obtained nonwoven fabric. The bioabsorbable synthetic nonwoven fabric holding thrombin in accordance with the present invention allows for quicker and more effective hemostasis.

Abstract: A recombinant ecarin protein that specifically activates prothrombin, said protein being efficiently prepared by the genetic engineering technique comprising the steps: (1) culturing a transformant microorganism or animal cell transformed with an expression vector in which a gene encoding ecarin is incorporated to the downstream of a promoter so as to produce and accumulate ecarin in culture supernatant or within said transformant and recovering the produced ecarin; and (2) purifying a solution containing the recovered ecarin to obtain purified ecarin. The present invention allows for production of recombinant ecarin on an industrial scale.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a tissue sealant which is safe and effective.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hemostatic material which is excellent in hemostatic property, biodegradability and bioabsorbability, uniformity and stability of the quality, as well as reduces a risk of contamination with a pathogenic organism derived from an animal. The hemostatic material comprises a thrombin and a synthetic polypeptide capable of forming a triple helical structure. The polypeptide may show a peak of the molecular weight in the range from 5×104 to 100×104 in the molecular weight distribution. The polypeptide may contain at least a peptide unit represented by the formula: -Pro-X-Gly- (in the formula, X represents Pro or Hyp). The thrombin may be a recombinant. In the hemostatic material, the proportion of the thrombin may be about 0.1 to 500 units (U) relative to 1 mg of the polypeptide. The hemostatic material may further comprise a binder component having biodegradability and bioabsorbability. The hemostatic material may be formed on a substrate.

Abstract: A safe and effective hemostatic is provided. The invention relates to a bioabsorbable synthetic nonwoven fabric holding thrombin as an effective ingredient and a hemostatic comprising said bioabsorbable synthetic nonwoven fabric. The bioabsorbable synthetic nonwoven fabric holding thrombin in accordance with the present invention may be prepared by a process which comprises the steps of immersing a bioabsorbable synthetic nonwoven fabric into a solution containing thrombin and of lyophilizing the obtained nonwoven fabric. The bioabsorbable synthetic nonwoven fabric holding thrombin in accordance with the present invention allows for quicker and more effective hemostasis.

Abstract: A recombinant ecarin protein that specifically activates prothrombin, said protein being efficiently prepared by the genetic engineering technique comprising the steps: (1) culturing a transformant microorganism or animal cell transformed with an expression vector in which a gene encoding ecarin is incorporated to the downstream of a promoter so as to produce and accumulate ecarin in culture supernatant or within said transformant and recovering the produced ecarin; and (2) purifying a solution containing the recovered ecarin to obtain purified ecarin. The present invention allows for production of recombinant ecarin on an industrial scale.

Abstract: Initiation of coupling between an input disk and a clutch disk at a maximum rotational coupling force without making relative rotation between the input disk and the clutch disk is enabled only when the output shaft is placed in a single engageable point within a normal reciprocal angular range of the output shaft. When a load applied to the output shaft is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the input disk and the clutch disk are decoupled from one another, so that the relative rotation is made between the input disk and the clutch disk.

Abstract: An input disk, a clutch disk and wave washers are installed to an output shaft to form an output shaft assembly of a motor apparatus. The input disk is axially non-detachable from the output shaft and is rotatable about an axis of the output shaft. The input disk is driven by a drive force supplied from a motor main body of the motor apparatus. The clutch disk is supported by the output shaft in such a manner that the clutch disk is non-rotatable relative to the output shaft and is axially movable along the output shaft relative to the input disk. The wave washers apply a resistive force against axial movement of the clutch disk from a coupled state, at which the input disk is coupled with the clutch disk to rotate together.

Abstract: A genetic recombinant human thrombin is provided. Human thrombin is efficiently prepared by the genetic engineering technique comprising the steps: (1) culturing a transfectant animal cell transfected with an expression vector in which a gene encoding human prethrombin is incorporated to the downstream of a promoter so as to produce and accumulate prethrombin in culture supernatant and recovering the produced human prethrombin; (2) treating a solution containing human prethrombin recovered in step (1) with ecarin so as to convert human prethrombin into human thrombin; and (3) purifying the solution obtained after the above activation process to obtain purified human thrombin. The present invention allows for provision of human thrombin in a large scale in a safe and economical manner due to exclusion of blood-derived components.

Abstract: A novel feline cytokine protein having the activity to enhance the cytotoxic activity of feline cytotoxic T lymphocytes, a DNA sequence coding for said protein, a recombinant DNA for expressing said protein, an expression vector comprising said recombinant DNA, a transformant which is transformed with said expression vector, a process for preparing said protein by culturing said transformant, and an antibody against said protein are provided. The novel feline cytokine protein of the present invention is a heterologous dimer comprising FLAF p35 and FLAF p40 and can be used for treating feline infectious diseases such as feline herpes virus type 1 (FHV-1) or feline calicivirus (FCV).

Abstract: A novel feline cytokine protein having the activity to enhance the cytotoxic activity of feline cytotoxic T lymphocytes, a DNA sequence coding for said protein, a recombinant DNA for expressing said protein, an expression vector comprising said recombinant DNA, a transformant which is transformed with said expression vector, a process for preparing said protein by culturing said transformant, and an antibody against said protein are provided. The novel feline cytokine protein of the present invention is a heterologous dimer comprising FLAF p35 and FLAF p40 and can be used for treating feline infectious diseases such as feline herpes virus type 1 (FHV-1) or feline calicivirus (FCV).

Abstract: A novel feline cytokine protein having the activity to enhance the cytotoxic activity of feline cytotoxic T lymphocytes, a DNA sequence coding for said protein, a recombinant DNA for expressing said protein, an expression vector comprising said recombinant DNA, a transformant which is transformed with said expression vector, a process for preparing said protein by culturing said transformant, and an antibody against said protein are provided. The novel feline cytokine protein of the present invention is a heterologous dimer comprising FLAF p35 and FLAF p40 and can be used for treating feline infectious diseases such as feline herpes virus type 1 (FHV-1) or feline calicivirus (FCV).

Abstract: A novel feline cytokine protein having the activity to enhance the cytotoxic activity of feline cytotoxic T lymphocytes, a DNA sequence coding for said protein, a recombinant DNA for expressing said protein, an expression vector comprising said recombinant DNA, a transformant which is transformed with said expression vector, a process for preparing said protein by culturing said transformant, and an antibody against said protein are provided. The novel feline cytokine protein of the present invention is a heterologous dimer comprising FLAF p35 and FLAF p40 and can be used for treating feline infectious diseases such as feline herpes virus type 1 (FHV-1) or feline calicivirus (FCV).

Abstract: A motor device having a hollow casing in which a mechanism for converting continuous rotational motion of a rotating member which is rotated by a motor into reciprocating oscillatory motion and reversibly rotates the output shaft in the forward rotational direction and in the reverse rotation direction. This motor device includes a gear wheel fixed to the output shaft. Furthermore, it includes a driving force conversion member comprising a meshing portion which is meshed with the gear wheel, which converts continuous rotational motion of the rotating member into oscillatory motion around the output shaft as a center for oscillation, and which reversibly rotates the gear wheel in the forward rotational direction and in the reverse rotational direction. It further includes a pair of holding members which support the meshing state of the gear wheel and the meshing portion of the driving force conversion member in the thickness direction, and which oscillate around the output shaft as a center for oscillation.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a retractable wiper device which comprises: a first crank connected for forward and backward rotations to the reduction output shaft of a motor; and a second crank rotatably supported on the first crank such that it is kept in association at a predetermined bent angle with the first crank, while the first crank is being rotated forward, and in general association with the first crank while the first crank is being rotated backward. When in the forward rotation of the first crank, a stopper is always pushed to keep its engagement with the first crank thereby maintaining the aforementioned predetermined bent angle by two overlapped cams which are associated with each other at a predetermined play angle.

Abstract: The invention is designed to calibrate a low-level optical power by a substitution method using a pulse generating section in which a light-shielding disk having a sectorial opening, as a component capable of accurate optical attenuation, is rotated in a light beam to generate an intermittent pulse signal having a duty ratio corresponding to the size of the opening, and the pulse signal is averaged to obtain an optical attenuation equal to the duty ratio. More specifically, while an object to be calibrated is set in a given standard state, a first pulse train having a duty ratio d1=Tw.sub.1 /Tf.sub.1 is input to the object, and an average optical power value A of an output from the object is measured and stored. Subsequently, a second pulse train having a duty ratio d2=Tw.sub.2 /Tf.sub.2 is input to the object, and the object is adjusted such that an average optical power value of an output from the object becomes the value A.

Abstract: A flame resistant polyester produced by addition and copolymerization of a phosphorus compound represented by general formula (I) below as a diol component of the polyester in an amount of 500 ppm or more in terms of phosphorus atom content in the polyester, which polyester has alkylene terephthalate units as main repeating units and which has an intrinsic viscosity of not less than 0.5 measured at 20.degree. C. in a mixture of equal weight of phenol and tetrachloroethane: ##STR1## where E is --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --, Ar is an aromatic group or an aromatic group substituted by a lower alkyl group or a halogen atom, and m and n denote, respectively, integers the sum of which is from 1 to 20.

Abstract: A polyester, wherein pendent phosphorus atoms are bound to the main chain of the polyester, having an excellent flame resistance and a high intrinsic viscosity can be stably produced without deteriorating the properties of said polyester by preliminarily copolymerizing a polyester with a specific unsaturated compound and then reacting the unsaturated bond thus-formed with a specific phosphorus compound having a P-H bond.